Ponyboy and Anne
by wally4ever
Summary: Anne is concerned for Ponyboy's well being and Ponyboy is trying to finally get over Johnny's death while he unsuccessfully denies his feelings for Anne. PonyboyOC. oneshot.


Secretly, even after a year of Johnny's death, Ponyboy was still shaken by his disappearance. It seemed crazy to him that someone so troubled and so quiet could have shaken the earth right from underneath his feet and racked him into a cold sweat, screaming into his face: "I'm dead! Dead!"

Ponyboy remembered one night when he and Soda were talking about Johnny; instead of saying Johnny's name they said "him." They had never been so wise in their lives until that night, and they woke up with the feeling that other people had talked; they were just remembering it. Ponyboy had spent the week thinking about that conversation and why they couldn't bring themselves to say Johnny's name. It was almost as if the shock of his death was so patronizing, they couldn't bring themselves to talk much about it even if they accepted it.

Ponyboy was thankful his teacher let him turn in his novel length extra credit.

He was as well as thankful that he didn't ask many questions after he read it.

Strangely enough, it was Ponyboy's friend Anne that asked the most questions. Usually she asked him because he would never give her a straight answer. He'd shrug her off and go to the grease lunch hang out, leaving her to chase after her few Soc friends in the cafeteria. Ponyboy would have gotten annoyed with her easily, but something about her hit him in the back of the head and made him think twice about things. She shared a few things in common with Johnny: she was fairly quiet.

Ponyboy always wondered how Johnny and she would have conversations when they chose to. Johnny was quieter than her. When he asked, they replied, "We enjoy each other's company." Ponyboy hadn't noticed she was in all of his classes until she asked if he would be her science partner in the second semester of seventh grade.

"Are you okay?" she'd ask at lunch and soon their daily banter to get him to give her a straight answer would begin.

"I gotta go," he'd reply, ending the banter and Anne would go read a book. One time Ponyboy made the mistake of asking how she was enjoying the book since he read it not too long ago. Their conversation on each character and their plot lasted them the whole lunch break. Anne snuck in the questions periodically, and Ponyboy ignored her by talking about the book again.

Ponyboy asked Darry what he should do to make her stop, and he said to tell her a straight answer because that's what she wants. When he asked Soda, Soda advised him to take her out on a date, so she'll ask different questions and maybe forget about the old ones. Two-Bit started to laugh and point when Ponyboy reddened at the idea of taking Anne out on a date.

-----

Ponyboy found himself in the same position he was in at every lunch, and he forgot what he did to escape. It was like when you go to the dentist, and you forget how you told him that you haven't been flossing your teeth. But then you discover that you told them a white lie and you've actually been flossing every other day, or something along those lines.

Anne was looking up at him with a no-nonsense look with her arms crossed over her chest. Ponyboy felt himself cower down at her short, small frame and tried to work up an excuse.

"You know what I think?" said Anne. Ponyboy shook his no. "Pony, I think you're afraid to tell me what you're feeling."

Ponyboy shook his shoulders and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Afraid?"

Anne nodded. "Yes."

"Why would I be afraid?" Ponyboy asked, twitching an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Anne said, flattening out her skirt. "I was hoping you would tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Pony…"

Ponyboy sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder. He tore it away when he remembered what Soda said to make her stop asking questions. "You know what I think?"

Anne seemed to have become far more interested in their conversation. "No, what?"

Ponyboy smirked. He couldn't help himself. "I think I'm going to go."

As he turned away, Anne stormed in front of him in such a stubborn rampage that Ponyboy nearly fell backward in shock. Anne glowered at him. He had to fight the urge to smile at her trying to look menacing, and in turn he managed to give her the same look. Anne opened her mouth, but made not a sound. She brought up a finger and shook it. Ponyboy smirked and held the finger, watching as her eyes widened. He began to shake it and when her arm became limp, he dropped it so it fell to her side, and went to join Two-Bit and Steve at the grocery store, _if_ they were still there.

Two-Bit was describing a leggy blonde in his math class to Ponyboy when a not so leggy Anne came up to him with her brown curls dancing over her shoulders. Ponyboy nearly chocked on his Coca-Cola and Two-Bit drifted off as he exchanged glances between the two.

"That was a rotten trick you pulled, Ponyboy Michael Curtis," she said, her eyes narrowing.

Ponyboy swallowed his Coke roughly. She only used his full name when she was extremely angry with him.

She poked him in the chest and Ponyboy stumbled backwards, bumping into a car. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Ponyboy continued to gaze at her dumbly.

She took a step forward and he found himself sitting on the hood of the car. He fiddled with the neck of his soda bottle but couldn't take his stare away from Anne. It was like she controlled him right then. Ponyboy felt his mouth go dry, but didn't dare risk getting her angrier by taking a swig from his cola.

Ponyboy thought about answering her, but it was far too late and Two-Bit had to place in his opinion on everything even if it wasn't his place.

"I swear you've got him in a cats cradle, Anners."

Ponyboy watched as Anne's anger for him flickered over to Two-Bit. Two-Bit wasn't able to speak to Anne for two weeks afterwards unless he developed some sort of weird rash that no one could quite see but him.

After those two weeks, Soda managed to manipulate Ponyboy into inviting Anne to go to the Dingo with the gang on Friday night since Darry's approach didn't quite work out.

"Are you okay?"

"No."

"Really? You can tell me, Pony. I won't judge you."

"But I gave you a straight answer."

The conversation ended up with Anne getting angrier because she found out about his ploy and it made her more suspicious than she already was.

So when Ponyboy opened the fence to Anne's home, he found himself asking why he had to introduce Anne to Johnny in the first place, and why Johnny had to "enjoy her company."

Ponyboy climbed the front steps to her home and glanced over his shoulder at the gang. Darry wasn't coming with them that night, so it was only Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit chuckling behind their hands and waving at him with the other as they hid behind a bush. Ponyboy heard Steve recommend them to hide behind the bush because that way they can jump out as Anne and Ponyboy passed, screaming and scaring Anne so she'll have to seek comfort in Ponyboy's arms.

Ponyboy felt hairs prickle on the back of his neck when he realized they might actually do that and knocked on Anne's door. It was soon evident that it was far too late to ding-dong ditch. The door opened and he was surprised not to see Anne answer the door, but a girl slightly older than her. Ponyboy assumed it was her sister.

"You're Horse Boy, right?" she asked as she filed her nails.

Ponyboy blinked. "Uh, yeah."

She smacked her gum and opened the door wider. "Come in, she'll be just a second." She looked him up and down and frowned. Ponyboy supposed he would frown to. Anne wasn't a greaser, and not exactly a Soc. She wasn't middle class, either. Ponyboy supposed he would consider her upper middle class. Her father was a dentist and her mother was a housewife. They lived near the border on the East Side. Ponyboy was dressed in his new leather jacket with a cigarette tucked in the top chest pocket, with a plain white T-shirt underneath and blue jeans. He may have gone a little overboard on the grease in his hair, but he knew Anne wouldn't think much about his attire. Yet the look her sister was giving him made him feel quite out of place.

When he entered the house he first noticed how neat everything was. Then he saw Anne's father on the couch reading the paper. He stilled and rooted his feet to the ground, counting to one hundred in his head. Anne's sister came from behind him and shoved him forward saying, "Dad, it's him."

It's him? What did that mean? Dr. Mayor slowly folded his newspaper and took off his glasses. He set them both down carefully on his lap and pointed over at the couch in front of him. "Sit."

Ponyboy ran and nearly jumped down on the couch. He folded his hands and played with his thumbs. Why was everyone being so formal?

Ponyboy wished he could say he was questioned without mercy on what he wanted to do with Anne tonight – though he had no intention to do anything out of the ordinary – and then told what he _should_ do, but after he sat down Dr. Mayor put his glasses back on and unfolded his paper.

There was a cough at the end of the couch and Ponyboy jerked his head to look at who it was. He heard a giggle and saw Mr. Mayor lowered his newspaper.

Anne already was always cleaned up, but now she was really cleaned up. Ponyboy felt his throat clog. Why had she cleaned up? Sure, he wore his new leather jacket, but that didn't mean anything. He was planning on wearing it tonight even if Anne wasn't invited. Wait – why was he thinking these thoughts? He shot up from the couch and ran a hand through his hair. He stopped when he felt the heavy grease and rubbed his drenched hand on his jeans and made to go for his weed, but stopped when he realized where he was.

The rest of the night wasn't any better. Soda and Steve made it their duty to whisper into Ponyboy's ear her name over and over like they were trying to prove a point. Two-Bit said earlier that he was going to be mature that night, but when Ponyboy said he was going to buy popcorn, Anne wanted to come because she only really knew him, and Two-Bit wanted to come because he supposedly wanted to buy his own popcorn. Two-Bit was hitting on Anne the whole time, making sure Ponyboy saw, and when Anne walked a little faster than them on the way back, Two-Bit practically yelled, "She's pretty fly, huh, Pony?"

Ponyboy wasn't able to talk to her the rest of the night, and ran away when he dropped her off when he accidentally brushed her hand.

When he went to sleep that night, a word kept on repeating over and over in his head: _what_?

-----

The following morning, Ponyboy searched for Johnny and his copy of _Gone with the Wind_. Ever since he relived the moments after writing the extra credit for English, he'd always read the note Johnny wrote to him on Saturdays. He supposed he did it to feel like Johnny was still watching him, but really he just wanted to hear his voice again. Reading the letter Johnny wrote in his final moments seemed to be the closest thing Ponyboy would ever get to hear his voice again.

But unlike previous Saturdays, this time Ponyboy wasn't able to concentrate quite well. His mind kept drifting from Johnny to Anne. Even to Johnny and Anne at the same time. He thought about how his life would be different if Anne never asked him to be his science partner, or if he noticed her a little sooner. What if Johnny and she never connected and what if Ponyboy chose to lose touch with her after seventh grade, when they didn't have a single class with each other the next school year? Would Anne still be trying to be a support system? Would Johnny never have killed Bob?

Why did Ponyboy associate Anne with Bob?

Why was he getting angry that he was associating Anne with Bob?

Why was he asking himself why he got angry when he associated – ?

Ponyboy stopped reading the letter and tucked it back into _Gone with the Wind_.

-----

School on Monday seemed like a chore more than anything else. Ponyboy had thought of Anne, but he hadn't thought of talking to her; however; he knew she was going to. Ponyboy figured he would think about it now. What was he going to say? The truth? What if she couldn't handle the truth?

Ponyboy stopped fiddling with his locker combination. "What if she can't handle the truth?" he repeated, whispering. He closed his eyes and rubbed them with his free hand. He shook his head and searched behind him to see if Anne was looking for him.

He opened his locker and stared at the metal bottom he saw so much of in the mornings, and then piled all his books for the day inside and took out the ones he needed for his first class. When he shut his locker, he nearly screamed and fell back when Anne popped up out of nowhere.

"Hello," Anne said a little too chipper. "How's your morning?"

Ponyboy felt his stomach pinch at the sight of her smile. He gapped his mouth open and close and fought with his lock to shut properly. Anne titled her head to the side and smiled.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

Ponyboy took a small step away from her and shifted his books to rest by his side. "Why must you be so talkative? You're supposed to be the quiet girl."

Instead of looking offended, Anne just smiled wider. "Yes, I am. But not when I'm around people I feel comfortable with. And generally, I feel comfortable around my friends."

Ponyboy began to nod like a pigeon when it ran. Anne snorted and clamped her mouth shut. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh at you…"

Ponyboy stopped nodding and raised his eyebrows. "Were you laughing at me? Well, I never considered myself that funny." Ponyboy should have kicked himself. Was he flirting with her? What was coming to him?

Anne flushed and didn't say anything. Instead she just stammered out, "Well, uh…"

Ponyboy, in his height of smoothness, couldn't help but poke at her. " 'Well, uh…' what?"

"Um…" Anne looked down at her feet and tightened her grip on her books.

Ponyboy smirked. " 'What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?' "

Anne glanced at him and blushed deeper. Ponyboy felt like he deserved a medal, or something.

"Well, I, uh, better go and research something…"

Ponyboy smiled. "Alright. See you later, then."

"Uh, yeah."

Ponyboy began to think hard that evening. He thought similarly to the night when Soda and he talked about Johnny without saying his name. This time he couldn't bring himself to say her name.

What was going on between them? Were his hormones kicking in a little too late? Were hers? Why did he feel differently towards her in less than a week's time after knowing her for practically three years?

All right, so it was official: he was feeling something for her. What was it that he liked about her? Her perseverance. Her determination. Her book smarts. Her attitude. The way she stuttered and tripped over her words when she was nervous. The way she felt for people even if she didn't know them personally.

Ponyboy realized he was staring at the ceiling with a dreamy smile.

What had he come down to – what was next? Fantasizing about him doing things with Anne? Ponyboy rubbed his forehead. Who knew that by accepting to be her science partner would cause so much trouble? Ponyboy reached for a cigarette. He paused. Smoking was something Anne always badgered him about. One time she walked up to him, took it out of his mouth, and stomped on it. Afterwards, Dally told him she had a pole stuck in her. Ponyboy brought the cigarette up to his face and examined it.

What good did this bring him? It made him lose his breath quickly during track. Anne hated it. Ponyboy stood up, not tearing his eyes away from it. The church was set on fire due to a cigarette. Johnny died. People called it a cancer stick. Of course, it did relieve stress. Maybe Anne could relieve stress?

Ponyboy dropped the cigarette. He did _not_ just think that.

Ponyboy dashed for the cigarette and stuffed his hands into his pockets, searching to a match or lighter. He popped the weed in his mouth and brought a match close to the end. Then he stopped and thought about the church. He crossed his eyes to look down at the cigarette. He looked at the match. He thought about the church. Then Anne. Then Johnny. He looked back at the cigarette. He took it from his mouth and blew out the match. He looked at the cigarette again.

When Ponyboy passed Soda and Darry chatting, he began to second-guess himself. Maybe he shouldn't quit. Smoking did relieve a lot of stress. He couldn't just quit. He should ease into it. One last pack, at least.

Then he threw it away.

He stared at the trash and the untouched cigarette. He could call the five-second rule and still use it. He stood up straight and instead figured he could go do his homework and think the ungentlemanly thought of Anne being a stress reliever. He turned around and saw Soda and Darry staring at him. Darry looked proud and Soda had wide eyes like a chinchilla. Ponyboy smiled and went off.

-----

"I'm swearing off cigarettes," Ponyboy told Anne at lunch the next day.

Anne bumped his shoulder. "I'm proud."

"So were my brothers," Ponyboy said, smiling. "Though, Soda now gets to be hammered by Darry and me to quit too."

Anne laughed. "That sounds good. And now I can see your home since the smoky smell will be gone."

Ponyboy's smile faltered. He would have to start cleaning. Maybe persuade Darry to buy a newer vacuum cleaner. He'd have to organize his books. Ask Soda to cook something that wasn't green, blue, or pink. Tell the gang to lay off for about a week.

Ponyboy shrugged and smiled again, bumping Anna's shoulder. "Sure."

She grinned. "Thanks."

Ponyboy looked down at his shoes and wished he hadn't sworn off cigarettes so he could light up. "You're welcome."

Anne pinched his shoulder and Ponyboy jerked his head up, grinning. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

Anne's eyes shone. "Really?"

Ponyboy bobbed his head. "Yeah." He paused and reached out his hand towards her, but then stapled it back to his side. "I'm, uh, actually doing quite well."

Anne looked down at his hand. "Why?"

"Because," Ponyboy started, "I've finally stopped thinking about Johnny so much."

Anne inhaled sharply. "So that's what it was?"

Ponyboy smiled shyly. "Yeah. Guess so." He extended his hand again, but shot it back like he touched fire. Anne glanced up at him, and then at his hand again.

"What made you better?"

_You_.

"Uh, quitting cigarettes?"

"Pony…"

Ponyboy grinned. "No, really. I mean it. I have to _fight the addiction_. That takes a load of my mind off from things. Johnny is a thing of the past compared to _this_ battle," he added.

Anne started to laugh. "Pony, come on. Tell me."

Ponyboy licked his lips. Suddenly, he was becoming the spiritual and utmost intelligent Ponyboy he was only two times in his life. For the first time, Johnny wasn't involved in this Ponyboy.

Feeling brave in the moment and not so clear in the head, Ponyboy took a step closer to Anne and she took a small step back. It was ever so small that Ponyboy may have missed it if he blinked. Ponyboy outstretched his hand and held hers. He felt Anne's body stiffen the instant he touched her. He took his other arm and hugged her waist. Anne blinked and then smiled when she laced her fingers through his.

Ponyboy bent down and whispered into her ear. "Do you still want to know?"

Anne swallowed and nodded. "Y-yeah," she breathed.

Ponyboy laughed and sighed; she twitched and squirmed as his warm breath hit her ear. "Well, I guess you can say it was smoking."

Anne shifted and it seemed, due to her body becoming as hard as a board, it was purely accidental when she brushed her leg against his.

Ponyboy's eyes widened.

"Smoking?" Anne repeated.

Ponyboy nodded and became intoxicated by the smell of her hair.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Why?"

He could say because smoking distracted him, but that was already ruled out. "Okay, not exactly smoking."

"Not exactly?"

"Nope."

"Then what?"

Ponyboy cringed. "Maybe…someone."

Anne locked eyes with him. She had such large, pretty hazel eyes. "Who?"

Ponyboy tore his eyes from hers and looked at her nose. "Someone."

Anne took her free hand and caressed Ponyboy's chin. "Who? Sally McFisher?"

"No!"

"A guru?"

"No…"

"Who?"

Ponyboy closed his eyes and fought to lose his grip on her so he could make a fast get away. "Maybe…you."

Anne's hand stopped moving. "Me?"

Ponyboy felt his cheeks burn. "Yeah…"

"_Me_?"

"Err – yes."

She took her hand out of his and held his face with both of her hands so he couldn't look away from her. His arm fell limp to his side.

"Why me?"

Ponyboy clenched his eyes shut and took in sharp breaths. "Because smoking is a part of getting over it and you may just be a very big part if quitting. And – and I like you a lot," he added.

Anne's hands fell from his face and to her waist. One hit his arm resting there. "Oh."

Ponyboy's heartbeat quickened. _Oh_. What did _that_ mean?

She didn't like him back. She felt nothing for him but friendship. Why didn't Ponyboy realize this earlier? They were good friends, not lovers.

Ponyboy saw Two-Bit run off to the grocery store and felt cornered. Was she going to say anything else? Ponyboy suddenly felt stupid holding her like he was in such an outrageous public display of affection. He slowly took his arm away from her and stepped back.

"No." Anne grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

Ponyboy stared at her left eyebrow.

"I, um," Anne mumbled and glanced at her hand holding Ponyboy's. Ponyboy never tore his eyes from her left eyebrow. "I – I, I like you too."

Ponyboy's gaze flickered towards her eyes looking down at their hands. "You do?"

She bobbed her head. "Uh huh," she replied in an odd high pitched tone. "I really do."

Ponyboy grinned.

Anne let go of his hand and reached for her backpack. She took out a paper bag and searched through it, taking out a sandwich wrapped in aluminum foil. She handed it to him. "It isn't much, but I didn't want to see you eat candy again. Its, um, not all that great for your teeth."

Ponyboy took the sandwich. "Thanks."

"It's, uh, ham and cheese."

"Any weird color?" Ponyboy asked.

Anne looked at him appalled. "What?"

Ponyboy grinned. "If you eat my brother's food, you'll know."

Anne laughed. "Oh, yeah, he adds food coloring, right?"

"A little bit of an understatement, but yeah." He gazed at where he last saw Two-Bit. "Hey, do you want to hang out with me today – I mean now?"

Anne's eyes flickered toward the cafeteria, but she smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."

As they walked hand in hand, Anne asked him, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Ponyboy bumped her shoulder. "Never better."

**Just FYI, Soda told me to tell whoever has read this fanfic, that he'd go on a date with them _if_ they review. ...So ya know.  
**


End file.
